“How Selfishness was Rewarded” demonstrates relevant qualities that pertained to cultures back in the day. In the beginning of the story it states that the man has two wives. This would mean that the Tlingit tribe practiced polygamy. The tribe was composed of fishers, hunters, and gatherers and agriculture didn’t pertain to them. As a source of food the warrior would gather fruit and berries for the family. The fishing harvest was not something they could rely on but that foreshadows what will happen in the story. Also the animals had moved over the mountains so hunting was on a down year. The young wife was very healthy while the old lady was blind and weakening. This would be common in many tribes due to the lack of nutrition and food. What they did not know was that young wife was cunning and did something that would cause disruption in the family. She would put a magic spell on the lake and all the fish would rush to the coast. Remember that there weren’t any fish to be caught before she put the spell on. The folktale shows the greediness of people back then when it comes to food and that can relate to our society today. Working together and improving the lives of others would be beneficial to all rather than keeping everything for themselves.
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